Testicle Cancer
A increased risk of suffering from testicle cancer exists for male persons
• With congenital retained testis
• A family disposition
Worldwide the number of people suffering from testicle cancer has increased considerably; the reason for this increase has not yet been found out.
Depending on the tissue characterization of the tumour, testicle cancer is divided into different groups: seminomal carcinoma, teratoid tumours, and mixed cell tumours. The differentiation is important as the medical treatment depends on the kind of tissue differentiation.
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Most men do not recognize the first symptoms of the testicle cancer by themselves. Typical symptoms are:
- A swelling or a knot in the testicles – mostly pain free
- Back pain by enlarged lymph nodes in the back of the abdomen
- An enlarged are hurting mammary gland
Men who recognize alterations to the testicles should consulate a doctor as soon as possible. Experienced in diagnostic and medical treatment is always an urologist.
weiter zur Diagnostik...zurück zur Entstehung...
After the operation more examinations must be made to find out if the tumour has already spread in the body of the patient. This examination is made by a computerized tomography of the lung and the abdominal area. Repeated blood screenings give information on the stadium of the disease: in stadium 1 the tumour is limited to the testicles, in stadium 2 the tumour has spread to the lymph nodes to the back of the abdomen and in stadium 3 there are metastases in the lymph nodes outside the abdomen area or in other organs. weiter zur Therapie...
zurück zu Symptome...
In every stadium of the cancer the testicle tumor can be healed. The biggest chances for becoming healthy again medical experts expect from the operation, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
As often young patients suffer from testicle cancer, before the medical treatment starts the conservation of the patient’s sperm is discussed. Afterwards depending on the stadium of the cancer and the tumor characterization chemotherapy, a radiation therapy or maybe an operation follows, all under constant monitoring of the patient.
The simple monitoring strategy is always possible when the tumor is less aggressive and has not yet spread to another organ. If the tumor is characterized as a seminomal carcinoma, the metastasis in the lymph nodes can be treated with radiation therapy. Mixed tumor forms respectively teratoma carcinoma is treated in this stadium by means of chemotherapy.
Radiation therapy:
The aim of the radiation therapy is to destroy cancer cells. High-energetic radiation damages the cancer cells and blockades their augmentation. The radiation therapy is a regional applied therapy form (in comparison to the chemotherapy); the patient is treated with radiotherapy on 5 days per week for approx. 5 minutes. The duration of the treatment depends on the spreading of the tumor.
Chemotherapy:
Chemotherapy is normally applied when it comes to teratoma, as these cancer cells not respond to radiation therapy. The basis for the chemotherapy is the principle that the cancer cells, that are dividing fast, are destroyed. The cystostatic therapy shall stop the growth of the tumor cells as they are influencing the cleavage of cells. The testicle tumors belong to the fast spreading and growing cancer forms but can be treated successfully with chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is a high effective “cocktail” of active ingredients and different cystostatic medications. These medications are given through an arm vein infusion in 1 to 4 cycles within 5 days. Between two cycles there is a pause if 2 weeks for the patient until the next treatment cycle starts. Side effects like vomiting and loss of hair cannot be totally avoided.
If after the treatments are still tumor cells left, these tumor cells are surgically removed. As soon as the acute phase of the cancer treatment is overcome, the next phase starts: the tumor after-care.
The after care has the following functions:
- to diagnose the testicle cancer in time in case the cancer is coming back
- to diagnose concomitant diseases and consecutive symptoms and diseases
- When it comes to psychic, physical and social problems offering help for the patient and its family. Part of the treatment is the rehabilitation of any impairments due to the disease and the regeneration of the ability to work
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